Names In The News

The trustee recovering money for victims of BERNIE MADOFF’s ponzi scheme yesterday “announced his fourth round of distributions of recovered funds,” and that “helps the WILPON family,” which owns the Mets. The Wilpons, “like other victims, can deduct the more than 46 cents per dollar from their losing funds” from the $162M “eventually owed to the trustee.” So the Wilpon family, businesses and charities “right now would owe the trustee” $80M, which would be “divided into two installments,” and payable in ’16 and ’17. That obligation “should further decrease as the trustee recovers more funds for all victims” (ESPNNY.com, 5/6).

WELL-CONNECTED: Spurs G MANU GINOBILI is profiled in USA TODAY’s “Talking Your Tech” feature today and is described as a “major tech geek who travels with two smartphones, an iPad and a Kindle.” He “uses tech to keep up with the family back home in Argentina.” Ginobili also “puts his Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or iPhone on the dining table” for Web chats with his brother and father over family dinner. The first app Ginobili reaches for is WhatsApp “to read texts from Argentina.” He also “tweets often in his native language.” Ginobili: “Probably 60% of my followers are from Argentina” (USA TODAY, 5/7).

STAGE & SCREEN: A two-hour play titled “DAWG POUNDED” about the “frustrations of a pair of Browns fans” will be coming to Cleveland’s Kennedy’s Theater for 10 performances beginning Aug. 8 (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 5/5)….Actor AARON ECKHART has signed on to play former Univ. of Texas football coach and AD DARRELL ROYAL in the upcoming movie “MY ALL AMERICAN” about former UT player FREDDIE STEINMARK (STATESMAN.com, 5/6).

(l to r) Mark, John, Peter & Craig honored at UJA Federation's Youth Award Luncheon

CHARITY STRIPE: Packers QB AARON RODGERS, FB JOHN KUHN and WR RANDALL COBB last night attended the fifth annual “An Evening with Aaron Rodgers” to support the Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer Fund. Exec Dir JOHN CARY said that the event will “help push the MACC Fund” over the $50M mark in contributions. He also said that $1.2M in net funds raised are “attributed directly to Rodgers’ involvement” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/7)….The Cubs yesterday teamed with the Robert R. McCormick Foundation to announce more than $1.1M in grants to non-profit organizations serving those in need in the Chicago area. This marks the 10th consecutive year that more than $1M has been donated to Chicago communities through Cubs Care (Cubs)….NFL Network analyst KURT WARNER and his wife, BRENDA, are opening the Treasure House, a $5M project that will house adults with an “intellectual or developmental disability” in Arizona (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/7)….Tigers players NICK CASTELLANOS, WALLY JOYNER, IAN KINSLER, JOE NATHAN, DREW SMYLY, JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, ALEX AVILA, MIGUEL CABRERA, PHIL COKE, TORII HUNTER, AUSTIN JACKSON, VICTOR MARTINEZ, RICK PORCELLO and MAX SCHERZER will participate in the Autographs for a Cause program this season (FREEP.com, 5/6).

NAMES: The AFL Jacksonville Sharks on Friday introduced MOTLEY CRUE frontman VINCE NEIL as a minority owner (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 5/3)…. Nationals President of Baseball Operations & GM MIKE RIZZO is profiled in the May/June issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine (THE DAILY)….Panthers LB LUKE KUECHLY will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 5/6)….Steelers investor DAVID TEPPER heads Institutional Investors magazine’s list of the “Highest-Earning Hedge Fund Managers of the Past Year.” Tepper “brought home” $3.5B in ’13, and this is the “second consecutive year Tepper has topped the Rich List and the third time in five years” (INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR, 5/'14 issue)….The entire Spurs coaching staff last night “wore commemorative JACK RAMSAY buttons” during the team’s game against the Trail Blazers (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 5/7).